- When you are developing app using google-maps-api, you can get sha1 with debug.keystore file. With this fingerprint, you can generate a new debug api-key which you can use on debug mode.
- But if you will publish your app or export your signed app, you must use release api-key. How to generate this release api-key? It is simple. You should first sign your app and generate your private keystore file. With this keystore file you can get your sha1 fingerprint and then you can generate your release api-key with it. There is no time limit for this api-key. But there is a user limit if you use free google-maps-api.
In this way, i have published 2 apps and they are working well with their api-key.